> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.zeroauthority.xyz/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.zeroauthority.xyz/community-grants/community-grants/degrants-application-lifecycle.md).

# DeGrants Application Lifecycle

August 21, 2026

##

How a DeGrants application moves from submission to a completed grant. Written for applicants, stewards, admins, and anyone who needs the process in one place.

***

### In one sentence

An application is **reviewed and offered funding**. A **grant** is created only after the applicant **accepts the offer**. Then the grantee submits a blueprint, delivers milestones, and finishes with an impact report.

***

### Does the applicant need to accept if admin offers the full amount?

**Yes.** Approving the original amount and approving an adjusted amount both create an **offer**. The applicant must click **Accept Offer** in either case.

Approving never creates a grant by itself.

***

### The two records

| Record          | What it is                                       | When it exists                                    |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------- |
| **Application** | The pitch and funding decision                   | Created when the applicant submits                |
| **Grant**       | The funded project with blueprint and milestones | Created only when the applicant accepts the offer |

Applicants choose one funding amount when they apply: **$3,000**, **$4,000**, or **$5,000**.

***

### End-to-end flow

```
Apply
  → Stewards score
  → Admin decides (approve full / approve less / reject)
  → Applicant accepts or declines the offer
  → If accepted: Grant is created
  → Applicant submits blueprint + KYC
  → Steward/admin approves blueprint
  → Milestones run one at a time
  → Impact report
  → Grant complete
```

***

### Phase 1 — Applicant submits

1. Applicant logs in. Steward accounts cannot apply.
2. They fill the form at `/funding/apply` (project, team, funding amount, milestones, acknowledgements).
3. On submit, an application is created with status **`Submitted`**.
4. It appears in **My DeGrants** for the applicant and **Review DeGrants** for stewards and admins.
5. A Slack intake message is sent if Slack is configured.
6. The applicant waits. Scoring does not start automatically.

***

### Phase 2 — After steward score

Steward scoring is **review only**. It does **not** approve, reject, or create an offer.

1. A steward opens `/funding/review-degrants/[id]/review`.
2. They score 6 criteria, each **1–5** (max **30**):
   * Stacks ecosystem relevance
   * Community value
   * Feasibility and execution risk
   * Engagement and momentum
   * Applicant fit
   * Deliverables and timeline quality
3. Notes are required. They can recuse as conflicted.
4. They cannot score their own application.
5. They cannot score an application marked **duplicate** (scoring is locked).
6. The **first score** moves the application from `Submitted` to **`UnderReview`**.
7. Later stewards can still score. A steward can update their own score until an admin decides.
8. The **average score** is the average of **non-conflicted** reviews.
9. Slack posts that a review was submitted or updated.
10. After an admin decides, steward scores are **locked**.

Admins can decide even if there are zero steward scores. The review UI shows the average so they can use it.

***

### Phase 3 — After admin decision

Only someone with grant-status permission sees the **Admin Decision** panel. There are three options.

#### A. Approve original amount (full amount)

1. Admin clicks **Approve (original amount)**.
2. The system reads the requested amount from the application (`$3,000` / `$4,000` / `$5,000`).
3. Status becomes **`Approved`**.
4. `offerAmount` is set to that full requested amount.
5. Optional decision notes are stored.
6. Applicant gets an in-app **Grant offer made** notification.
7. **No grant is created yet.**

#### B. Approve adjusted amount

1. Admin enters a custom USD amount and confirms.
2. Same as above: status **`Approved`**, `offerAmount` = the adjusted number.
3. Applicant still gets an offer notification.
4. **Still no grant** until they accept.

#### C. Reject

1. Admin clicks **Reject politely**.
2. Status becomes **`Rejected`**.
3. `offerAmount` is cleared.
4. Applicant gets a **Pitch rejected** notification (notes included if written).
5. Process ends. No offer, no grant.

After any of these, the admin UI shows “already decided,” and stewards can no longer change scores.

***

### Phase 4 — Applicant accepts or declines

On **My DeGrants → that application**, if status is `Approved`, the applicant sees **You’ve received a DeGrants offer** with Accept / Decline.

This is required for **both** full-amount and adjusted-amount approvals.

#### If they accept

1. Only the applicant can do this, and only while status is `Approved` and no grant exists yet.
2. The system creates a **Grant**:
   * awarded amount = the offer
   * requested amount = what they originally asked for
   * category = DeGrants
   * stage = **`blueprint`**
   * assigned steward = highest-scoring non-conflicted steward (if any)
3. Application status becomes **`OfferAccepted`** and is linked to that grant.
4. The admin who decided gets **Grant offer accepted**.
5. Applicant is sent to `/funding/my-degrants/[grantId]`.
6. Next required step: **submit the project blueprint**.

#### If they decline

1. Status becomes **`OfferDeclined`**.
2. **No grant is created.**
3. The deciding admin gets **Grant offer declined**.
4. Process ends. They cannot accept later from this application.

***

### Phase 5 — After accept: blueprint

The grant starts at **`blueprint`**. There are no active milestones yet.

1. Applicant opens the grant and submits a **blueprint**:
   * overall scope of work
   * at least one milestone (name, scope, amount)
   * KYC document (required)
   * optional start date / deadline
2. Milestone amounts **cannot exceed** the awarded amount.
3. All milestones are created as **`locked`**.
4. Blueprint review status becomes **`pending`**.
5. Assigned steward is notified.

Then a steward or admin reviews.

#### Blueprint approved

All three must pass:

* Blueprint: approve
* KYC: verified
* Funding release: approve

Then:

* Blueprint is marked approved
* Grant moves to **`milestones`**
* **Milestone 1** becomes **`active`**
* `initialFundingPaidAt` is recorded
* Applicant is notified **Blueprint approved**

#### Blueprint rejected

* Stage stays **`blueprint`**, review = rejected
* Applicant can **resubmit** a new plan (old milestones are replaced)
* Applicant is notified **Blueprint rejected**

***

### Phase 6 — Milestone steps on the grant

Milestones run **in order**. Only the current one is active. Later ones stay locked until the previous one is **paid**.

```
locked → active → submitted → approved → paid
                         ↘ requires_changes → (resubmit) → submitted
```

#### 1. Grantee works on the active milestone

Only `active` or `requires_changes` can be submitted.

#### 2. Grantee submits deliverables

* Must include a valid deliverables URL (optional notes)
* Status becomes **`submitted`**
* Steward is notified

#### 3. Steward or admin reviews

**Approve**

* Status → **`approved`**
* Grantee is notified
* Payment is **not** automatic

**Request changes**

* Feedback text is required
* Status → **`requires_changes`**
* Grantee can resubmit
* Grantee is notified

#### 4. Admin marks it paid

* Only after status is `approved` (admins only)
* Optional Hiro explorer transaction URL (`https://explorer.hiro.so/txid/...`)
* Status → **`paid`**
* **Next milestone** (if any) becomes **`active`**
* Grantee and steward are notified

#### 5. When every milestone is paid

The grant automatically moves to **`impact_report`**.

***

### Phase 7 — Impact report and completion

1. Grantee submits an impact report URL (optional notes).
2. Steward or admin reviews:
   * **Approve** → grant stage **`complete`**, grant status **Completed**
   * **Requires changes** → stays in impact report; grantee revises and resubmits

***

### Quick reference

| Event                           | Status                                                          | Who acts next                        |
| ------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| Form submitted                  | Application: `Submitted`                                        | Stewards score                       |
| First steward score             | Application: `UnderReview`                                      | More stewards / admin                |
| Admin rejects                   | Application: `Rejected`                                         | Done                                 |
| Admin approves full or adjusted | Application: `Approved` (offer waiting)                         | **Applicant must accept or decline** |
| Applicant declines              | Application: `OfferDeclined`                                    | Done — no grant                      |
| Applicant accepts               | Application: `OfferAccepted` + **Grant created** at `blueprint` | Applicant submits blueprint          |
| Blueprint approved              | Grant: `milestones`, M1 `active`                                | Grantee delivers M1                  |
| Milestone submitted             | Milestone: `submitted`                                          | Steward/admin reviews                |
| Milestone approved              | Milestone: `approved`                                           | Admin pays                           |
| Milestone paid                  | Milestone: `paid`, next one `active`                            | Grantee works next milestone         |
| All milestones paid             | Grant: `impact_report`                                          | Grantee submits report               |
| Impact report approved          | Grant: `complete`                                               | Done                                 |

***

### Details that often confuse people

* **Steward score ≠ decision.** Admins decide funding.
* **Approve ≠ funded.** Accept Offer creates the grant.
* **Full amount still needs Accept.** Same as a reduced offer.
* **Decline is final** for that application.
* **Interview / submit\_pitch** exist in older frontend types. Live grants start at **blueprint** after accept.
* Duplicate applications can be flagged; they cannot be scored.
* Selected / public lists treat `Approved` and `OfferAccepted` as selected. Badge minting for “selected” also allows `Approved` even if they have not accepted yet.

***

### Application statuses

| Status          | Meaning                                    |
| --------------- | ------------------------------------------ |
| `Submitted`     | Application received, no steward score yet |
| `UnderReview`   | At least one steward has scored            |
| `Approved`      | Admin made an offer; waiting for applicant |
| `Rejected`      | Admin rejected; process ended              |
| `OfferAccepted` | Applicant accepted; grant exists           |
| `OfferDeclined` | Applicant declined; no grant               |

### Grant stages

| Stage           | Meaning                                            |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `blueprint`     | Grantee must submit (or resubmit) the plan and KYC |
| `milestones`    | Delivering and reviewing milestones                |
| `impact_report` | All milestones paid; report required               |
| `complete`      | Impact report approved                             |

***

### Source of truth in code

| Step                                 | File                                                                  |
| ------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Submit application                   | `packages/web/src/actions/funding/submit-degrant-application.ts`      |
| Steward score and admin decision     | `packages/web/src/actions/funding/degrants-application-lifecycle.ts`  |
| Accept / decline offer               | `respondToOffer` in the same file                                     |
| Blueprint, milestones, impact report | `packages/web/src/actions/funding/degrants-lifecycle.ts`              |
| Status enums                         | `packages/database/prisma/schema.prisma` (`DegrantApplicationStatus`) |